Nebraska city to begin work on $48M community center

11/19/17 12:30 PM

PAPILLION, Neb. — Officials in eastern Nebraska say a planned community and recreation center approved by voters last year will cost $48 million and include such features as an indoor water park, gymnasium and a library.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the groundbreaking for the 120,000-square-foot facility in Papillion is scheduled for Nov. 30. The community center is expected to open fall 2019.

The City Council approved the project’s total cost on Nov. 7. The council has voted on issues related to the project almost 20 times in the past few years.

“This is really just the tail end of a very long public process,” Mayor David Black said.

The city will use sales tax revenue to fund the project. Voters approved a half-cent sales tax increase for the center in the November 2016 election. The city has collected $1.8 million from the increase between January and July. A city official says the revenue generated was ahead of the city’s projections.

Plans show that the center will also have an indoor children’s playground, a jogging track, and event spaces with a catering kitchen.

The project also includes an 80,000-square-foot field house and a synthetic turf sports field for soccer, football and lacrosse.

“We have nothing of that size or magnitude,” said Tracy Stratman, the City of Omaha’s recreation manager. “We have some of those features throughout our parks system, but nothing as a one-stop shop.”

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